Benefits of private yoga vs. group class
For many years of my London life, I attended group yoga classes. There are many benefits to the group aspects. Social benefits- I enjoyed meeting and connecting with like-minded people at the weekly classes. In group classes there can be a sense of community and belonging which is much needed in this day and age. By sharing our experience of being supported by our yoga practice is hugely encouraging and motivating too. Plus group classes are generally affordable which makes it more accessible to a wider range of people.
Group yoga classes offer a unique and rewarding experience that can improve our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Above all, group classes can be fun and enjoyable!
Private yoga session sounds daunting for some people. I was one of them. It was over twenty years ago when I first took up one on one yoga classes for my persistent back issue I had at the time. In my first session with my teacher Dave Charlton (with whom I did my yoga foundation course) I stood on my yoga mat doing some movements I was asked to do and I remember saying to him “You are making me nervous”. Dave acknowledged and reassured me straight away, telling me that he was on my side i.e. the student’s for many years.
As you can imagine, I felt like I had Dave’s undivided attention on my movements, as he closely observed every second of how I moved my body. He taught me a yoga program which he devised to compensate for my back pain but also to strengthen the area afflicted. As he wrote down those lovely stick man figures on a sheet of paper, it was my program that I brought home and practised for the next month until I saw him again.
In this process of yoga practice, where I faced myself alone with my body and breath in my own home, I took the first steps to reawakening my sense of physical awareness, which had been dormant since my childhood. This is a kind of practice where the subject of matter is just you and your yoga mat. It is the best environment to develop the connection between your body and the mind through the awareness of your breath as a medium. The nice thing is that there is time, as long as you give it to yourself. There is no instruction to follow because you are the instruction. I consider this as a process of empowerment. A simple one, because all you need is your time and space.
I stood on my yoga mat doing some movements I was asked to do and I remember saying to him “You are making me nervous”
However, being in your home environment ( perhaps you can be in nature) can be a disruption in and of itself. For example, “What do you do if your phone rings?” or “What about the door bell!?”. Life intervenes as long as we live. My teacher used to say, “We all have to make choices” which is what life is about. We want to make positive choices in life. Hence, I mindfully open my door to the postman with a smile. Or I simply ignore the door bell during my yoga practice. We all have to decide for ourselves…
**What do students receive in a private yoga sessions that they do not in groups?**
In a private yoga session, students can receive several benefits that may not be available in a group setting. These include:
- Personalised attention and instruction- In a private setting, the practice will always be tailored to the student’s specific goals such as short term/long term goals.
- Customised practice and adjustments – Depends on student’s physical conditions, energetic level, life situation, mental and emotional state, the teacher can create a practice that supports the overall needs of the individual.
- Detailed modification and feedback – Private sessions allow more precise adjustments and immediate feedback on movement, alignment, the use of breath, assisting students developing / refining their greater physical awareness.
- Therapeutic yoga practices – the teacher can give variations and modifications to accommodate the practice for injuries, chronic conditions, specific life situations etc. providing a safe and supportive environment for students to work with their unique challenges.
- Deeper exploration of yoga philosophy – In a private setting, practitioners maybe able to offer you philosophical aspects of yoga through study of classical yoga texts such as the Yoga Sutra.
yoga with yuka 